HomeMy WebLinkAboutNovember 2016The Official City Newsletter for Arden Hills Residents November 2016
State of the City meeting offers news and insight about City projects by Tina Kulzer
Sixty-seven guests attended the an-
nual “State of the City” community
meeting at Flaherty’s Arden Bowl
on Thursday, September 29. This year’s
meeting was a departure from the tradi-
tional overview of City issues presented by
City Council members and instead featured
presentations by community businesses and
partner organizations.
Bob Lux from Alatus spoke first and ex-
plained the role of the master developer in
the Rice Creek Commons project, reviewed
the history of and timeline for the redevel-
opment, and explained the goals for the
working relationship they now have with
the City. He explained that the current focus
of that relationship is to find a “middle
ground” between the Master Plan devel-
oped by the Joint Development Authority
(JDA) and City and the market realities
that drive the work done by developers like
Alatus. Lux fielded questions from the audi-
ence related to traffic increases, mass transit
accessibility, and planned housing mix.
One of the City’s largest business residents,
Land O’Lakes, had the second presentation
slot. Mayor Grant presented information
about the Fortune 200 company that calls
Arden Hills home, detailing the construc-
tion plans that will consolidate its Shor-
eview campus into the Arden Hills head-
quarters, as well as the tax abatement that
secured their future in the City.
Sheila Kauppi, North Area Manager for
MnDOT, concluded the meeting with
status updates on the many road construc-
tion projects coming to a close in our area,
as well as a summary of what Arden Hills
residents can expect in the coming years.
Kauppi disclosed that approximately
$70 million in state road construction
funding was spent in Arden Hills from
2013-2015. As one of the busiest road con-
struction seasons in recent memory winds
down, area residents will have improved
road conditions to enjoy as a result. Kauppi
reported that the outlook for the 2017
construction season in our area will not be
as busy, with eastbound lane closures on
I-694 (the next phase of the “Corridors of
Commerce” on I-694) being the main proj-
ect that will affect residents. There were
several audience questions and comments
for Kauppi, who addressed them all.
Local election results outlined
Residents and community leaders had the
chance to talk together during the State of the
City meeting on September 29.
Arden Hills voters elected three City Council Members during the general
election on November 8. They are incumbents Brenda Holden and Dave
McClung who will fill four-year terms and Steve Scott who will fill a
two-year term (completing the unexpired term of the late Bob Woodburn).
They will begin their duties in January.
Notes on a second meeting
The Arden Hills City Council
scheduled an additional open house to
provide information and gather input
on TCAAP development plans on
Wednesday, November 16, at 4:30 p.m.
in the Marsden Room of the Ramsey
County Public Works Facility, 1425
Paul Kirkwold Drive, Arden Hills.
Arden Hills Service Directory
1245 West Highway 96
Arden Hills, MN 55112-5734
www.cityofardenhills.org
651-792-7800
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sheriff and Fire
911
Water and Sewer Problems
(During non-business hours)
651-767-0640
Mayor:
David Grant 651-538-0747
dgrant@cityofardenhills.org
Councilmembers:
Brenda Holden 651-636-2987
bholden@cityofardenhills.org
Fran Holmes 651-631-1866
fholmes@cityofardenhills.org
Dave McClung 651-332-0352
davemcclung@comcast.net
Jonathan Wicklund 651-278-8077
jwicklund@cityofardenhills.org
Acting City Administrator:
Sue Iverson 651-792-7816
siverson@cityofardenhills.org
Communications Committee
Editors/writers: Susan Cathey, Tina
Kulzer
Council Liaison: Jonathan Wicklund
Staff Liaison: Julie Hanson
Desktop Publisher: Mary Nosek
Council meetings are held at City Hall
on the second and last Monday of the
month at 7 p.m. Meetings are televised
live on Cable Channel 16. Meetings of
the Planning Commission are televised
as well. Visit www.cityofardenhills.org
for information about archived meeting
playbacks.
Arden Hills Notes is the official news-
letter of the City of Arden Hills, an
equal-opportunity employer.
2
It’s that time of year!
A note about snow removal policies and regulations
Here are a few things to remember as the white flakes begin
to fly.
• The City does not have a bare street policy, as this re-
quires tons of salt, around the clock plowing, and heavy
traffic. Plows will get as close as possible to mailboxes,
but the cleaning of the mailboxes is the responsibility of
individual residents. It is also the responsibility of adja-
cent homeowners to clean snow from fire hydrants.
• The City plows the walks and trails to the best of its ability after all the streets are
done. Some trails are not plowed if icing occurs due to them being too steep to plow.
• No vehicle can be parked on the street after the accumulation of two or more inches
of snow and continuing until after plowing has been completed.
Remember, there is no parking on any City street between 2 and 6 a.m. year-round.
Get out your skates!
Arden Hills skating rinks are scheduled to be open from December 5, 2016 to February
20, 2017. Dates are subject to change depending on weather conditions. Rinks will be
closed if the temperature is -20 degrees Fahrenheit, and/or the wind chill is -20 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Warming house hours for Freeway, Hazelnut, and Perry Park are:
Monday – Friday: 4:30-8:30 p.m.
Saturday – 12:00-8:30 p.m.
Sunday – 1:00-7:00 p.m.
Cummings Park will have a push-light system available during the week for open skat-
ing. Lights will automatically turn off at 10:00 p.m. The warming house will not be open
during this time. A warming house attendant will be on duty Fridays, Saturdays, and
Sundays only.
Call Aaron Thelen at 651-792-7848 with questions.
Vacation and holiday hours for the warming houses are:
December 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 – 12:00-8:30 p.m.
Christmas Eve – 12:00-5:00 p.m.
Christmas Day – CLOSED
New Year’s Eve – 12:00-6:00 p.m.
New Year’s Day – 12:00-8:30 p.m.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 16) – 12:00-8:30 p.m.
Presidents Day (February 20) – 12:00-8:30 p.m.
Vacation and holiday hours at the rinks
3
Want to “do good” for our environment? Here are some suggestions
Pollution in area streams and lakes can
come from common, everyday materi-
als like household chemicals, fertilizers,
pesticides, gasoline, used motor oil and
antifreeze. Contrary to what many people
think, storm drains do not lead to waste-
water treatment plants. The water enters
a series of pipes which collect water from
other neighborhoods, finally dumping
directly into a nearby lake, stream, river or
wetland.
While many of the substances are washed
by rainwater from our streets, yards, drive-
ways and parking lots into storm drain in-
lets, there is a growing problem of illegally
dumping such waste. Deliberate dumping
of hazardous materials into storm sewers
makes the pollution problem worse. Just
one quart of motor oil dumped down storm
drains can ruin the quality of 250,000
gallons of water. Dumping oil and other
hazardous substances is illegal in Minne-
sota.
What you can do…
• Keep your vehicle tuned up and clean
up any oil leaks or spills from paved
surfaces.
• Dispose of automotive fluids, paint, and
other hazardous materials properly.
• Avoid using pesticides and other lawn
chemicals or use them responsibly.
• Report any suspicious dumping to the
proper authorities as soon as possible.
Keeping chemicals out of our lakes and streams
Caution! Danger! Warning! Poison!
Common household products stored in the
kitchen, bathroom, garage or shed might
be labeled with these words and must be
disposed of properly.
Household hazardous waste products are
potentially harmful to people, pets and the
environment. They should never be poured
down the drain or put in the trash, and
many people are not sure what to do with
them.
What’s in a label?
Read the label before you buy a product
and before you use it. Many injuries and
unsafe exposures can be avoided by read-
ing the label to learn what the product
is for, how it is used, how hazardous the
product is, and what to do in case of an
accident.
Got hazardous waste?
No problem. For more information call
651-633-3279 (EASY), visit
ramseyrecycles.com and click on the
Household Hazardous Waste icon, or visit
the following collection options:
Year-Round Site – Bay West, Inc.,
5 Empire Drive in St. Paul
• Open April through November
• Tuesday through Friday from 11:00
a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Closed Sunday and Monday
Mobile Sites (Location changes monthly)
• Open April through October
• Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Disposing of household
hazardous waste
Collection sites
(Closed on Federal holidays)
Law Enforcement Center
425 Grove St., St. Paul
Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Free parking
Sheriff’s Patrol Station
1411 Paul Kirkwold Dr., Arden Hills
Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Free parking
North Saint Paul City Hall
2400 Margaret Street, North St. Paul
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Free parking
Other collection programs
Most HealthPartners pharmacies have
a collection program for medicines. For
more information, visit
HealthPartners.com/rxdisposal.
To find more medicine disposal options in
the Twin Cities, visit RethinkRecycling.
com or call 651.633.EASY (3279)
24 hours a day.
Safely dispose of unwanted, expired and unused medicines for FREE at one of three
public drop boxes in Ramsey County. This year-round collection program helps
prevent crime and protects the environment. Storing unwanted, expired and unused
medicines can lead to drug abuse or poisoning, and medicines flushed down the drain or
disposed of in the trash can harm the environment.
What is accepted?
All medicines from households are ac-
cepted, including prescription, over-the-
counter, vitamins, supplements and pet
medicines. Medicines are accepted in any
form, such as: blister packs, capsules and
pills, creams and gels, epinephrine pens
(unused only), inhalers, IV bags, liquids,
patches, powders, sprays, and vials.
What is not accepted?
Needles, syringes, lancets or used epineph-
rine pens. These are accepted for FREE at
Ramsey County’s year-round household
hazardous waste (HHW) collection site
located at 5 Empire Dr. in St. Paul. Also,
medicines from businesses, healthcare
facilities, long-term-care facilities, pharma-
cies, doctors’ offices or veterinary clinics
are not accepted.
Keep medicines in their original container
for legal transport. Put loose medicines
in a clear plastic bag and label it. Seal all
containers in clear plastic
bags, ideally one-gallon
or smaller size. Place bag
with medicine into drop
box.
Here are some resources for disposing of medications
4
When the phone rings at City Hall,
the cheerful voice that answers is
that of Arden Hills’ new Customer Service
Specialist, Britt Pease. Britt began work
in her new position on Monday, October
3, coming to us from Andover, where she
worked for 18 years in that city’s Building
Department. She has also worked in many
departments in other cities and brings to
Arden Hills a rich and varied municipal
experience with specialized knowledge of
city departments and operations.
Besides greeting and assisting residents
and customers on the phone and in person,
Britt’s job involves providing adminis-
trative and clerical support for all City
departments. She assists with permits and
licenses, registers participants for City
programs, processes financial payments,
and much more.
When she is not at work, Britt, who
currently lives with her husband in St.
Francis, enjoys spending time with her
sister, niece, and two-year-old twin great-
nieces. She likes traveling to warm places
in the winter and having fun with friends.
She always appreciates the importance of
health and happiness in life.
Britt says she is excited about her new
adventure in Arden Hills and is happy to
be part of such a good team.
New Customer Service Specialist joins City staff
September 12, 2016
(Brenda Holden absence excused)
• Approved Resolution 2016-028 cer-
tifying the attached list of delinquent
utility accounts totaling over $15,000
to Ramsey County (4-0). These are
public records available online.
• Approved Planning Case 2016-017
for a side yard setback Variance at
1536 Edgewater Avenue, based on the
findings of fact and submitted plans,
as amended by the six conditions in
the September 12, 2016, Report to the
City Council (3-1, Holmes).
September 26, 2016
• Approved Planning Case 2016-022
for a setback Variance at 1500 Arden
Place, based on the findings of fact
and submitted plans, as amended by
the six conditions in the September 26,
2016, Report to the City Council (5-0).
• Adopted the Snowplow Policy with
July 2016 revisions (5-0).
• Adopted Resolution 2016-031, setting
the Preliminary Levy for Taxes Pay-
able in 2017 at 4.7% (4-1, Holmes).
• Adopted Resolution 2016-032, adopt-
ing Truth In Taxation Public Hearing
Date for Proposed Taxes Payable in
2017 (5-0). The meeting is scheduled
for December 12, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the
Council Chambers.
• Accepted proposal from Midwest As-
phalt Corporation for the bituminous
mill and overlay for Shorewood Drive
in the amount of $79,694.30 (5-0).
October 10, 2016
• Adopted Ordinance No. 2016-008:
An Interim Ordinance Temporarily
Prohibiting Land Use Applications and
Reviews for Higher Education Uses in
Residential, Business, Industrial and
Other Zones (4-1, Wicklund).
Note: other actions were approved. View
online minutes from meetings for details.
Benchmarks:
A review of City Council Action
Ken Novack, Arden Hills’ new Public
Works Superintendent, hit the ground
running with meetings and lots to do on his
first day, Monday, October 10. He’s equal
to the task, though, having chosen to come
to Arden Hills because he missed the chal-
lenges of working as part of a management
team and had decided he preferred working
for a metro area city.
Ken has moved up through the ranks in the
Public Works field over the last 25 years,
starting as a custodian doing building
and ground maintenance for the St. Paul
Schools. From there, he learned a variety
of new skills at jobs with the St. Paul Water
Utility and the communities of Woodbury,
Chisago City, and Vadnais Heights. He
holds a Public Works certificate and a
certificate in Leadership and Management,
as well as being selected the state of Min-
nesota Collection System Operator of the
Year.
Ken lives with his wife and two sons in
Lindstrom and has a daughter attending
the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He
enjoys hunting and fishing with his boys,
gathering with neighbors around the fire
Meet Arden Hills’ new Public Works Superintendent
pit, and gardening and canning the harvest.
A favorite family activity is preparing
snacks together before watching the Vi-
kings games.
Ken’s goal in his new job is to leave the
City a better place to live and work when
he retires than when he started. “If I can
have that impact, I have done well.”
by Susan Cathey
by Susan Cathey
Britt Pease
Ken Novack
5
Summer Successes:
•Free Farmers’ Market Tuesdays: These
events were very popular, serving an av-
erage of 7,400 pounds of produce to 414
individuals per market in less than two
hours. Many of the people served were
new to the food shelf. The markets were
especially well attended by community
seniors on fixed incomes.
•National Night Out: Collections at neigh-
borhood block parties brought in over 200
backpacks and 4,800 pounds of food.
•Good Neighbor Back to School Project:
903 district students in need received
school supplies ranging from pencils to
backpacks.
Holiday Programs:
•Thanksgiving for All: Last year, nearly
600 families asked for help with food in
the month of November. This program
provides a Thanksgiving meal with all the
fixings to anyone visiting the food shelf
during the month of November.
Update from the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf
•Operation Joy: The annual
Operation Joy Toy Shop will
take place this year on
December 21 and 22. Dona-
tions of toys, gifts, and gift
cards for nearly 1,000 area
children in need are currently
being accepted.
Two New Programs:
•Schooltrition: A sub-program
of the weekend backpack
program, Snackpack. The
program provides snacks
to schools in the Mounds View Public
School District to have on hand for stu-
dents who might otherwise go without.
•Partnering with the district Meals on
Wheels program: We are starting to send
home supplemental food to our home-
bound seniors through the Senior Mobile
Outreach Program.
Learn More: To learn more about Ralph
Reeder Food Shelf or any of its programs,
call 651-621-7451 or visit
ralphreederfoodshelf.org.
Here’s an update on programs at the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf. The food shelf is located at the Pike Lake Education Center,
2101 NW 14th Street, NewBrighton.
by Tina Kulzer
What’s new around town?
A new drive-up window adds another level of service at Caribou
Coffee on Lexington Avenue.
Take a look around Arden Hills and you’ll see some changes. Here are two examples:
Bright red awnings and an improved parking lot design greet
visitors to the Red Cross Donor Center on County Road E.
Volunteers worked on Operation Joy at the Ralph
Reeded Food Shelf last seasosn.
Truth in Taxation Hearing set
The City’s asnnual Truth in Taxation
Hearing is scheduled for:
Monday, December 12, 2016
7 pm
City Hall Council Chambers
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Arden Hills, MN . 55112-5734
State of the City meeting
Snow season is coming!
Meet new City employees
Tips for disposing of hazardous materials
ECR-WSS
PRST STD
U.S. Postage Paid
Twin Cities, MN
Permit #1962
The wheel on my recycling cart broke
– how do I get a new cart?/My recy-
cling didn’t get picked up today – now
what?/I just moved in and don’t have a
recycling cart – how do I get one? The
City of Arden Hills contracts with Repub-
lic Services to provide residential curb-
side single-sort recycling services. City
residents with questions about recycling
services, concerns regarding weekly collec-
tion, or issues with recycling carts should
contact Republic Services directly by call-
ing 952-941-5174 or sending an email to
cstwincities@republicservices.com.
I’m moving in/out of the city – what do
I need to do to set up my utility bill/get a
final bill?
The City website (www.cityofardenhills.
org) provides online forms for residents
moving in or out of the City to manage
their utility bills.
Residents leaving Arden Hills to move to
another city should select the orange tab
labeled “Online Services” in the middle
of the home page. Next, click on “Are
You Moving?” This brings the user into
the Form Center and directly to an online
form that, when completed, will prompt
City staff to take a final meter reading on
the closing date of the sale of your prop-
erty. This information will be used to close
out the water and sewer accounts at your
address.
Residents moving to Arden Hills from
elsewhere should also start at the orange
“Online Services” tab in the middle of the
home page. New residents should then
Postal Customer
Most residents have called City
Hall at one time or another in
need of information or services.
City staff that field telephone calls and
greet in-person visitors must possess full
knowledge of City services, issues, and a
wide-range of related (and sometimes not-
so-related) knowledge so that the informa-
tion needs of residents can be met.
Here are the Top Five questions most
frequently-asked by residents and others
who contact City Hall – and their answers!
Since inquiries are made on these topics so
often, we thought the information would
be worth communicating in this month’s
resident newsletter. Staff members at City
Hall are ready and available to answer
resident questions and inquiries Monday
through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
at 651-792-7800.
Is this the DMV?/Can I schedule a driv-
er’s test?/Do you have the number for
the DMV?/How do I get to the DMV?
The Department of Motor Vehicles is a
state agency that operates the Arden Hills
North Metro Driver and Vehicle Ser-
vices (DVS) Office, located at I-35W and
County Road I in Arden Hills. Apparently,
Arden Hills City Hall is often mistaken for
the DVS Office because City staff fre-
quently has to redirect wayward individu-
als, both in person and on the telephone.
This happens often enough that City staff
has created a specific map that provides di-
rections from City Hall to the DVS Office.
The telephone number for the Arden Hills
North Metro DVS Office that is provided
on the City website and furnished by staff
in response to this question is 651-201-
7900.
select “New/Update Your Account” and
click on that. The user is again redirected
into the Form Center to create a new water
and sewer account in the name of the new
property owner.
When is the next AARP Driver’s Re-
fresher Class?
AARP Driver Safety Program classes
are designed for motorists 55 years of
age or older. Upon completion of one of
these seminars, residents are entitled to
a discount on auto insurance premiums.
For new Driver Safety Program members,
an eight-hour introductory course must
first be completed. To retain the insurance
premium discount, residents must attend
the four-hour refresher course every three
years. The current cost for the class is $25,
or $20 for AARP members.
Classes are generally offered one day each
month and are held at City Hall. Class
dates are published in the quarterly Parks
and Recreation Guide and available for
viewing on the City website at: Home
> Departments > Parks & Recreation.
Registration is required for these classes
and must be done online or in person –
registrations cannot be completed on the
telephone.
I need an inspection on a building/elec-
trical/plumbing permit.
Front desk staff will transfer calls relating
to inspections to the appropriate building
inspector, based on whether the permit was
for residential or commercial work.
From City Hall
Some questions frequently asked of staff at City Hall